Highway guardrail construction



April 1940- E. v. CAMP HIGHWAY GUARDRAIL CONSTRUCTION Fiied Sept. 16, 1956 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 o III III! INVENTOR l'qae/vel Cam 0 iTTO RNEY April 9, 1940. E. v. cAMP 2,196,290

HIGHWAY GUARDRAIL CONSTRUCTION I Filed Sept. 16, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 III/E l 2 4/ x a I I 'I 3 W rm 3 F2 .4 II

v INVENTOR Evy ne KC'am a WM ATTORNEY Patented Apr. 9, 1940 2,196,290 HIGHWAY GUARDRAIL CONSTRUCTION Eugene V. Camp, Atlanta, Ga. Application September 16,1936, Serial No. 101,069 '15 Claims. (o1. ass-ran This invention relates to guardrails, and more particularly, to an anchoring and/or reinforcing structure intended primarily for use with road guards of the plate type. 1. g

It is well recognized among highway engineers that a traffic guard can be no stronger than its supports and anchoring means, and for-this reason it is particularly important thatthe posts or other membersused to uphold and maintain the impact and cushioning elements of the rail in operative position, be themselves held andmaintained in proper and positive alignment at all T times, and anchorage be providedat certain 10- cations in such a manner as to resist maximum in is easily installed, either initially, or as an improvement on guards alreadyin position.

Another object is to provide facility of adjustment of such an anchoring means once it is in place.

Another object is to providea high degree of adaptability in a device of the instant class. ,A still further object is to provide cheapness of construction in guardrail reinforcing means.

Another object is to provide still further anchoring means for the primary cushioning ele-' ments of road guards of the modern type, which means are simple in structure, economical to manufacture, easy to install, and thoroughly ef-v fective for their intended purposes.

Summarized, the. objects-of my invention. are to provide an anchoring and reinforcing structure for road guards, which will serve to produce I in which:

a more effective and more satisfactory composite structure, better fulfilling the ultimate aim and purpose of certain of my inventions in this field, which purpose has as itsinception the guarding and making, safe of public highways.

In order that my invention-may be fully understood,,reference is made to the drawings'accompanyingand forming a part of this application,

Fig. 1 is a front elevational view, partly fragmentary, illustrating a section of guardrail embodying part of the instant invention.

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the structure illustratedin Fig.1..

Fig. 3 is an enlarged front view of the primary anchoring member, of the instant invention.

.Fig. 4 is a top view of the structure illustrated in Fig.3. v I

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary View of the structure shown in'Figs. 3 and 4, illustrating a modification of the device thereof. 5, Fig. 6 is a front elevational view of an add'itional element which may form part of the an choring structure contemplated by my invention.

Fig. 7 is a side view of the structureillustrated in Fig. 6, showing in greater detail the .forel0 going modification.

Like .numerals refer to corresponding parts throughout the various figures of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings (Figs. 1 and 3), in which my invention is illustrated con junction with a resilient plate type of road guard such as described and claimed in my basic Pat-,- ent'No. 1,793,673; and Patent No. 1,793,676, both issued February 24, 1931;. said roadguard in a. preferredform comprising supports 10', spring cushioning or buffer elements II, and resilient impact members 12 interlaced at their ends'and j secured to oppositesides of elements H by bolts 13 in such a manner as to. provide a'continuous road guard; it will beapparent that my present 5 invention comprises in part, generallyv C-shaped stirrup-like anchoring members I4, which.ele-

ments are noreparticularly described as followsi v,

Elements [4 may be formed ofstrip steel] or other suitable material, and may be either rigid 3 or slightly resilient as desired. The upper'and lower ends l5 and I6 ofxld are formed to lie nuts l3a, in order to insure a permanent attachment of element It to the guard proper, which attachment will not be disrupted by impacts to the guard, or by other causes, I

Intermediate of .ends 15 and l6,.element l4 may be providedwith a flattened surface l9 hav- 45 ing anaperture 20 to permit the passage therethrough of an anchoring rod 2|, which rod is threaded and provided at its upper end with a or shape, but preferably of a structure presenting a maximum surface to oppose its being uprooted once buried in the ground, the shape illustrated in the drawings (Figs. 3 and 4) having been found desirable for this purpose.

A modification of the means whereby rod 2! is associated with stirrup I4, is shown in Fig. 5, in which a suitable coil spring 26 is interposed be-- tween washer 22 and surface I9, nut 23 serving to hold the assembly in place. In this manner the tension under which rod 2| joins M may be varied, and at the same time a further spring element provided to cushion and soften the force of impacts to the guard rail, the posts thereof, and the anchoring means described herein, and also to aid in compensating conditions caused by atmospheric temperature changes.

Since it appears that the above-described structures may be responsible for a somewhat greater vertical displacement to buffers I I under impact, than in the case of conventional road guards now in use, it may be desirable to further reinforce said elements ll against displacement, in the manner shown in Figs. 6 and 7 of the drawings, which figures illustrate members Ila joined to supports In as by bolt 21, washer 28 and nut 29, bolt 21 being first passed through reinforcing or check-plate 30, to which special attention is now directed.

Plate 30 is formed of steel or other suitable material, preferably of somewhat greater thickness than the element I la, and through its upper portion has an aperture 3| to receive bolt 27 as previously indicated. The lower portion of 30 is turned more or less at right angles to form a check element 32, which is intended to engage a slot or groove 33 provided in post or support In for such purpose. Thus it is apparent that when the elements are in place and nut 28 tightened on bolt 21, Ha is definitely anchored against turning or sliding on post l0 either under impact or from stresses set up in anchor rod 2| by adjustment, changes in temperature, or otherwise.

From the foregoing description the operation of my invention willbe apparent to those skilled in the art, it being clear that stirrups or reinforcing members l4 when associated with buffers II in themanner described herein, at proper intervals, produce a guardrail structure having greater stability, a greater resistance to shocks and strains, and more permanence than has heretofore been possible. Members M with described anchorage means serve to anchor the guardrail structure in such a manner as to resist severe strains, and when made more or less resilient, or when associated with a supplemental spring element as shown in Fig. 5 of thedrawings, said device affords greater springiness to the guardrail structure as a whole, thereby further cushioning the effect of shocks and impacts thereto, and reducing the damage to both vehicle and guard therefrom.

When members Ila are provided with the stabilizing element an illustrated in Figs. 6 and '7, an additional reinforcement results to the guard, the elements thereof being further held in contemplated position and adjustment so as to function at all times in the optimum manner, where previously described anchors are used.

While I have illustrated herein a preferred embodiment of my invention, it is not my intention to be limited by or to such disclosure. For instance, the-present device may be used in other road guards from that illustrated herein, my reinforcing elements being peculiarly adapted for use with cable guards employing cushioning and connecting members after the manner taught broadly by my Patent No. 1,793,674. It is my further intention that the appended claims shall be liberally construed in keeping with my present contribution to the art.

I claim:

1. A guardrail comprising a series of posts, a series of buffer members attached to said posts, and an impact member extending from buffer member to buffer member and being supported thereby, stirrup-like anchoring members pivotally mounted to opposite sides of one of said buffer members, an anchoring rod joined to each of said anchoring elements, and means for holding said rods firmly in the ground.

2. A guardrail comprising a series of posts, a series of buffer members attached to said posts, and an impact member extending from buffer member to buffer member and being supported thereby, a stirrup-like anchoring element pivotally mounted to one of said buffer members, an anchoring rod joined to said anchoring element, and anchoring means for said rod.

3. A guardrail comprising a series of supports, a series of buffer members attached to said posts, an impact member extending from buffer member to buffer member and being supported thereby; stirrup-like anchoring elements at intervals pivotally mounted to opposite sides of said buffer members, an anchoring rod adjustably mounted to each of said anchoring elements, and means for holding said rods fixedly in the ground.

4. A guardrail comprising a series of supports, a series of buffer members attached to said supports, an impact members extending from buffer member to buffer member and being supported thereby; a stirrup-like anchoring element pivotally mounted to one of said buifer members, an anchoring rod penetrating said anchoring element, a spring on said rod between said point of penetration and the end thereof, and means for holding said rod fixedly in the ground.

5. A guardrail comprising a series of supports,

a series of buffer members attached thereto, an

impact member extending from buffer member to buffer member and being supported thereby; an L-shaped plate engaging the rear of one of said buffer members on the inside thereof, a

horizontal groove in the support adjacent said buffer member, said L-shaped element extending into said groove in such a manner as to prevent displacing of the buffer member on the support; a stirrup-like anchoring element mounted to said buffer member, an anchoring rod associated with said anchoring element, and means for anchoring said rod fixedly in the ground.

6. A guardrail comprising a series of supports, a series of buffer members attached thereto, an

impact member extending from buffer memberto buffer member and being supported thereby; an L-shaped plate engaging the rear portion of one of said buffer members, and a horizontal groove in the support adjacent said buffer member, said L-shaped element extending into said groove in such a manner as to give added stability to the buffer member on the support.

'7. In a guardrail construction, an impact member, spring cushioning elements associated therewith, supports for said impact member and springs, stirrup-like anchoring members pivotally mounted to said springs, anchoring rods engaging said anchoring members, and an anchorage at one end of each of said anchoring rods.

8. A guardrail comprising a series of supports,

1 of said bufier members, and stop means for said plate in the support adjacent said buffer member, said plate engaging said stop means in such a manner as to afford added stability to the buffer member on the support.

9. A guardrail comprising a series of supports, a series of buffer members attached thereto, an impact member extending from buffer member to bufier member and being supported thereby; a check plate engaging the rear portion of one of said buffer members, and anchoring means for said plate associated which the support adjacent said buffer member, said plate engaging said anchoring means in such a manner as to afford added stability to the buffer member on the support.

10. A guardrail comprising a series of supports, a series of buffer members attached thereto, an impact member extending from buffer member to buffer member and being supported thereby; and a check plate engaging the inner portion of one of said bufier members and extending to the adjacent support in such a manner as to provide added stability to the buffer. member on the support.

11. A guardrail comprising a series of supports, impact members, extending along said supports and attached thereto by buffer elements, one impact member interlaced through an adjacent impact member and their conti uous ends attached to resilient anchorage means.

12. A guardrail comprising a series of supports, a series of bufier elements attached thereto, impact members extending from bufier element to buffer element, one impact member interlaced through an adjacent impact member and their contiguous ends being attached to fixed anchorage 111631115.

13. A guardrail comprising a series of supports, impact members extending along said supports, one impact member interlaced through an adjacent impact member and their contiguous ends connected to resilient anchorage means.

14. A guardrail comprising a series of supports, impact members supported by said supports, one impact member interlaced through another and the ends of such interlaced impact members being attached to fixed anchorage means.

15. A guardrail comprising a series of supports, impact members extending along said supports,one impact member interlaced through an adj acent impact member and their contiguous ends attached to anchorage means.

EUGENE V. CAMP. 

